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The Light Bulb Guide: How to Choose the Right One

Posted by The Online Lighting Store on 24th May 2021

The Light Bulb Guide: How to Choose the Right One

Just as there are different types of lighting fixtures such as pendants, floor lamps, table lamps, spotlights (to name but a few), there are also different types of lightbulbs. Standing in front of the different rows of bulbs, trying to decipher what all the letters, numbers and different caps mean, and which one you actually need can be overwhelming when you don't know what you're looking for.

Since the old incandescent bulbs were removed from the market about 10 years ago, light bulbs now come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, with different bulbs for different intentions. We’ve put together this light bulb guide to help you better understand which one it is you need for your new light fitting.

What type of cap do you need?

This is one of the most critical pieces of information when selecting your new bulb, why? Because if you choose the wrong cap it isn’t going to fit and coming home with the wrong one is extremely frustrating.

The caps and bases will be labelled with both letters and numbers, the letter indicates the base and the number indicates the diameter of the base in millimetres. There may also be a third letter to indicate the number of pins.

Bayonet

One of the most common base types in the UK, they are placed into the lighting socket using a push and twist action and will be primarily used in incandescent and CFL bulbs.

Screw

Screw bases are labelled with the letter E and this is because they are also known as Edison bases, they are also available in different sizes.

Pins/Pegs

These light bulbs have two narrow pins or pegs.

Different types of bulbs

There are four main types of light bulb available to buy for your home, incandescent, compact fluorescent (CFL), halogen, and light-emitting diode (LED).

Incandescent

The original light bulb and the one we all know which is still today the most common in the world. Incandescent light bulbs are being phased out slowly because they are inefficient, dangerous, and easy to break.

Most incandescent bulbs you find now will be specialty bulbs, such as candle and other decorative bulbs, but their days are numbered as they are replaced by energy-saving bulbs.

LEDs

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode which is a small, technologically advanced device that generates light by passing a current through layers of a semi-conducting material housed in a chip.

LEDs belong to a family of lighting technologies called solid-state lighting and represent the dawning of a new age in the lighting industry.

Since LEDs are the most efficient option when it comes to lighting a home because they do not scatter light, instead only emitting a photon at a time.

The result is a saving of 85% less electricity than traditional incandescent light bulbs, lasting more than 15 times longer.

Compact fluorescent lamps

Compact fluorescent lamps, or CFLs for short, are basically miniature versions of the fluorescent lights you find in offices and kitchens.

CFLs use around 25%-35% of the energy used by traditional light bulbs, while lasting up to 10 times longer.

CFLs are more effective when used for long periods of times, rather than shorter uses like pantries or bathrooms. Switching them off and on frequently may shorten their life.

While they are not as efficient and don’t last as long as LEDs, they are a cheaper alternative, handy if replacing all the lights in your home is stretching the budget.

Halogen bulbs

Halogen bulbs are the least efficient type of lighting on this list, but they do have their advantages.

The initial cost of a halogen bulb can be less than a quid, making a complete household switch considerably less than the LED option.

Halogen bulbs look exactly like traditional bulbs, but use around 70% of the energy, and last for roughly twice as long.

Although the initial investment is cheaper, halogen bulbs use around 5 times the energy as LED lights, and 3 times the energy of CFLs, both of which also last considerably longer.

Brightness of the bulb

With the old incandescent light bulbs, brightness was measured in watts (the power flowing through the bulb). Now that energy-saving bulbs are more common, the power wattage isn’t such a good measure of the brightness.

Instead we now use lumens. The higher the number of lumens, the brighter the light.

As a rough guide, 20 lumens per square foot is suitable for most rooms. So around 400 lumens would be suitable for a bed-sized table lamp, whereas you might want between 1,500 and 3,000 lumens in total for a good-sized living room.

Colour of light

In this case, we’re not talking about primary colours, but rather the warmth of the light given off by the bulb.

Light bulbs are measured on the Kelvin Scale, named after Lord Kelvin (Belfast born) which is actually a measure of temperature.

At the lower end of this scale is yellow/orange candlelight, usually around 1500K – 3000K. As we move up the scale (hotter) we also get bluer light, with sky blue being around 10,000K.

Warm light is better for bedrooms and relaxing areas, whereas blue light is more suited to kitchens and bathrooms. Now on the market are smart lights and smart light bulbs, many of these fittings these allow you to change the colour whether you want warm white or bright white settings, or maybe even choose a colour like blue or red to set the mood.

Light bulb styles

To add to the confusion, you can then get decorative light bulbs that have been designed in a range of styles and shapes to enhance your home interiors. These types of light bulbs are made with a vintage style in mind but using LED technology to make them easy to replace a standard bulb with.

LED Filament Bulbs

These bulbs look good both on and off and come in opal or transparent. As we mentioned, they are designed to look vintage complete with the yellow LED filaments to make them look stylish and without the high-running costs.

If you decide to go for a LED filament bulb, you can go for clear or amber coloured glass. Both will show the detail of the LED filaments, but if you want a much warmer colour, then amber glass is for you. This will also help you give your light the vintage and retro look.

Buying the best bulb for your new light fitting

We hope that our buying guide has helped make things a bit easier when it comes to understanding all the different light bulb fittings. The right bulb will help you brighten up the home, won’t lose light over time and provide a lot of light for a small amount of power.

If you’re still finding it complicated, don’t hesitate to get in contact with our team of lighting experts to have a chat about finding the right bulb for your needs. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will be happy to help in any way they can!